Connecticut Sun

The Connecticut Sun are a professional women's basketball team in the WNBA's Eastern Conference. Based in Uncasville, Connecticut, they are the only major league professional sports team in the state. Home games are played at Mohegan Sun Arena, a venue inside the Mohegan Sun casino resort.

The franchise began as the Orlando Miracle in 1999, a sister team to the NBA's Orlando Magic. Financial trouble nearly ended the team after the 2002 season, but the Mohegan Tribal Nation purchased and relocated it to Connecticut in 2003. This made the tribe the first Native American group to own a professional sports franchise. The team's name and logo draw from Mohegan symbolism, reflecting their affiliation with Mohegan Sun.

For years, the Sun held a unique position as the only WNBA team not sharing a market with an NBA team, a distinction later shared by the Seattle Storm and the Las Vegas Aces. The Sun have reached the playoffs in 15 of their 21 seasons in Connecticut, but they remain the oldest active franchise without a WNBA championship. In March 2026, news broke that the Fertitta family, owners of the NBA's Houston Rockets, agreed to purchase the team and relocate it to Houston, where it would be renamed the Houston Comets.[edit]

The franchise was founded as the Orlando Miracle in 1999, one of two expansion teams that year alongside the Minnesota Lynx. Playing at the Orlando Arena, the Miracle struggled in their early seasons, making the playoffs only once in four years. In 2002, the team posted a 16-16 record but missed the postseason, and financial difficulties led the NBA's Orlando Magic to put the franchise up for sale.

The Mohegan Tribe purchased the Miracle in January 2003 for a reported $10 million, relocating the team to Uncasville, Connecticut, and renaming it the Connecticut Sun. The move made the Mohegan Tribe the first Native American-owned entity to operate a major professional sports team. The Sun debuted at Mohegan Sun Arena in May 2003 before a sellout crowd of 9,341. Under coach Mike Thibault, the team quickly became a contender, reaching the WNBA Finals in 2004 and 2005, losing both times to the Seattle Storm and Sacramento Monarchs, respectively.

After a period of rebuilding, the Sun returned to the Finals in 2019 under coach Curt Miller, falling to the Washington Mystics in a five-game series. In 2022, they made another Finals run, losing to the Las Vegas Aces. Throughout the 2010s and early 2020s, the Sun remained a perennial playoff team, led by stars like Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones, and DeWanna Bonner. In 2026, the franchise faced a major transition: the Fertitta family, owners of the NBA's Houston Rockets, agreed to purchase the team and move it to Houston, where it would revive the name Houston Comets. The sale is expected to close after the 2026 season.[edit]